An impeccable cast briskly directed by Brian Columbus portrays the sordid story behind William Williams, the last man executed in Minnesota a century ago. Columbus and Nancy Ruyle's lean and absorbing script sympathizes with teenager Johnnie Keller (Kevin Singer), torn between a father (Jerome R. Marzullo) threatening him with reformatory and Williams (Wade Vaughn), an older man obsessed with him. Williams killed the teen and his mother (Jean Salo) in a drunken rage. Edwin Strout shines as Joseph Hennessy, the gutsy Pioneer Press journalist who tracked the events. (10 p.m. today, 2:30 p.m. Sun., Southern Theater, 1420 Washington Av. S.)

JOHN TOWNSEND

Playwright Keri Healey's well-crafted two-actor comedy is one of the best shows of this year's Fringe. Smart, sassy and sexy, it revolves around stories exchanged by a free-spirited party girl (Keira McDonald) and a woman who does not know much pleasure (Megan Hill). After a chance meeting, the two discuss love, loss and psychotherapy, accompanied by a mood-setting acoustic guitarist. There's lot of sex-talk and sex-simulation in the Fringe. But this show, whose title refers to an encounter that one of the women has with a sailor, has mature vignettes that are clever, funny and touching. And they stay with you after the minimal set-pieces are cleared. (7 p.m. Wed., 4 p.m. Sat., Intermedia Arts, 2822 Lyndale Av. S.)

ROHAN PRESTON

Something was lost in the script cutting, or more likely there wasn't much there in the first place. This abridged version of Ellen McLaughlin's adaptation of Euripides purports to examine the famous bride of Troy as illusion and duplication -- that is, we no longer adore Helen herself, just the idea of her. In the bargain, we get an academic recitation on the depth of women and the trivialization of war. It's high-concept stuff, difficult to unlock, and a game cast has not dialed in the proper combination. It's not worth the effort. (10 p.m. Wed., 2:30 p.m. Sun., Playwrights' Center. 2301 E. Franklin Av.)

GRAYDON ROYCE

Choreographer Denise Armstead uses her affection for horses as foundation for a set of dances built around the highs and lows of relationships. The result is a personal glimpse into love - the unconditional equine kind and the more complex human version - set to Bonnie Raitt and the Dirty Three. Cade Holmseth and Kelly Radermacher deliver a powerful if disquieting duet about an on-again, off-again romance, while the entire cast - dressed in jeans and boots - shows natural ease blending cowboy sensibility with contemporary dance moves. (10 p.m. today, 8:30 p.m. Fri. & Sat., Ritz Theater, 345 13th Av. NE.)

CAROLINE PALMER

Ari Hoptman and his revelers knock off fractured tales both familiar and invented in the most literate and whimsical show I've seen so far. Hoptman mixes a facility for language with an ear that is perfectly tuned to all that is absurd. Friday, his cast did "Rumpelstiltskin," "The Little Engineer Who Couldn't" (what did Medieval folk do before Viagra?) and "Das Boot," about sailors whose harbor ferry is threatened by the planned construction of a new bridge. Director Peter Moore lets the words and the actors (including Hoptman, Michelle Hutchison, Leslie Ball, Carolyn Pool and Josh Scrimshaw) do their work. It's ridiculous fun. (7 p.m. Wed., 5:30 p.m. Thu., 5:30 p.m. Sat., Rarig Proscenium, 330 21st Av. S.)

GRAYDON ROYCE

My suspicion is that "Spermalot," which does "Spamalot" one worse, was conceived after two or three too many. Crude and crass, this musical by an Iowa-based team sets the story of Camelot in men's and women's nether regions. There, sperm cells not only must outwit each other, they are sometimes chased by turds. Their holy grail? The ova. But first they must get through some obstacles (and bad puns), delivered in songs such as "There's a Vas Deferens" and "C'mon Ova." With the exception of Amy Burgmaier, the fearless performer who played Ova Eggevere Benedict, The Holy Egg, the cast is weak. And they are not helped by the muddy pre-recorded soundtrack that they sing to. (8:30 p.m. Thu., 4 p.m. Fri., 1 p.m. Sat., Ritz Theater, 345 13th Av. S.)

ROHAN PRESTON

MINNESOTA FRINGE FESTIVAL

WHAT: 160 productions, more than 800 shows. • WHEN: Daily. Ends Aug. 9. • WHERE: 22 venues in Minneapolis and St. Paul. • TICKETS: $5-$12. Admission requires a $4 Fringe button. Multishow passes also available. 866-811-4111 or www.fringefestival.org. • ON THE WEB: Search shows, read reviews, add your comments and see videos at www.vita.mn/fringe.